Awesome governor. Expect a landslide re-election in Florida for Governor DeSantis in 2022. Any Floridian who votes against DeSantis is nuts.
Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed new safeguards to crack down on China’s attempts to steal intellectual property from Florida.
“For far too long, the Communist Party of China and other foreign adversaries have been deliberate in their economic infiltration of other nations, the United States in particular,” DeSantis said Monday. “China has made it a mission to steal intellectual property from our businesses, our government, and our academic institutions — all to further fuel their global objectives.”
“We will place strategic safeguards against foreign influence by closing loopholes, strengthening institutional vetting, and applying common-sense protections for Florida schools, government entities, and more,” he added.
Florida Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls said he found evidence of China stealing intellectual property from universities, such as the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.
“We found that there are no limits to the depths to which other countries, especially China, will go to steal our science and technology,” Sprowls said. “Foreign adversaries use our university systems, local governments, research institutions, and companies to intimidate, influence, and steal their way to strategic advantage. Today, we are introducing legislation to combat foreign influence in our public institutions and prevent corporate espionage in Florida.”
Disclosing donations of $50,000 or more from seven “countries of concern” is among the proposals. The countries include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.
DeSantis added that anyone seeking a contract with Florida worth $100,000 or more must disclose ties to the seven countries listed.
The announcement on Monday came after...
